Empty
by nje
Summary: Sequel to "Home". Angst, drama, humor, romance, the works. You should really read Home first, just to make it easier to understand.
1. Chapter 1

_Here it is! The first chapter. If you haven't read my other story, this one really won't make much sense but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. I got the idea for this story from my family, that you have all witnessed from my story 'Shamu', but I will be tying in previous themes. If you read 'Shamu', it should give you a pretty clear idea of the possibilities that come along with inspirations from my family lol. This story will have it all- humor, angst, drama, romance, and I wouldn't be a Babe if I didn't give you the HEA. Enjoy. _

The sound of early morning cartoons filled the apartment along with quiet murmurs of Spanish from Ranger and fits of giggles from Mateo. Their forks scraped on their plates and their glasses clinked on the counters, echoing in the marble chamber of the kitchen. But Steph heard none of it. Only the sound of her beating pulse rang through her ears as she sat on the toilet in the master bathroom of their apartment. She was still in her pajamas, a black tee shirt of Ranger's and a pair of lacy black panties, and she hadn't even brushed her teeth yet. Every morning for the past eight months, her thoughts were only on one thing when she woke at 6:30 sharp. Stephanie glared down at her watch, following the ticking second hand with her sapphire eyes as she waited. _34, 35, 36, 37, 38… _She counted each second with her heart thundering in her chest. _57, 58, 59…_

"Carlos! It's been three minutes!" For the first time that morning she finally heard something else other than her heart beat. A fork clanked down on a plate and a chair was scooted back from the table. Ranger's feet pounded on the hard wood floor as he jogged through the living room and bedroom, making his way to his wife. He was breathing hard though not from the light jog, more in anticipation as he watched Steph's eyes. She stared up at him from her seat on the toilet and hugged her arms tightly around herself.

She flickered her gaze to the small cup resting on the counter and then back to Ranger_. I can't look._ She begged with her eyes and he immediately understood, taking the thin plastic stick from the cup and holding it on the end between his thick thumb and forefinger. _Por favor. Dios. Para Stephanie._ He held her fearful gaze for a moment. His heart ached at the thought of seeing the disappointment he hoped wouldn't come next. He released a slow breath and looked down at the home pregnancy test in his grasp. _Fuck. _He sighed and his eyes softened, his shoulders sagging with a heavy heart. Negative. Stephanie didn't have to hear it to know what the test said. She stifled a sob but it came out as more of a choke and she hugged herself tighter.

Ranger swallowed back his own disappointment as his heart pained. For the past eight months, Steph and Ranger had been trying to have that next baby. For the past eight months, their morning had played out the same. Ranger knelt down in front of the toilet and enveloped Steph's shaking body in his strong arms. He crushed her to his chest and sighed heavily, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he gently fisted her curls. He kissed her neck, trailing up to the soft spot just below her ear.

"Shhh. Estara bien, Babe. Sucedera." Steph hiccupped as her tears pooled in the crevice created by his collar bone. Only six years ago she couldn't imagine having a child. Now, she wanted so desperately to have a second and it wasn't happening. She shook her head softly and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

"It's not. We've been trying twice a day, every day for eight months." She hiccupped again and wiped her face. "What if there's something wrong with me?" She felt Ranger's muscles tense beneath her and found herself being pulled back so that they were eye to eye.

"No, Babe. There is nothing wrong with you. We have Mateo, don't we?" He cupped her face in his wide palms and brushed away her tears with the pads of his thumbs before kissing her soft lips. He pulled 

back to look into her glimmering blue eyes again and he shook his head. "There is nothing wrong with you." _God, I hope not. It's probably me. I probably have a bum nut and she's worried it's her. _His voice was reassuring and strong yet as gentle as always when he spoke to her. She couldn't help but feel relief for one fleeting second before the overwhelming guilt and frustration took over again. She nodded gently, simply for his sake, and leaned in to kiss him again. The kiss was soft but it was needed to get her through the day. This, she had decided the night before, was to be the worst day of her life. She took a shaky deep breath and let it out slowly, calming her heart beat.

"It's Mateo's first day of Kindergarten." Ranger's lips threatened to turn into a smile as he watched her expression. She had said it with such distaste that you would think her son was off to be executed. Watching the tips of his lips twitch slightly only made her more angry and she huffed. "It is not funny." He chuckled softly, still cupping her face in his hands, and kissed the tip of her nose.

"No, Babe. It's not. What is funny is that you are so angry about it." She jerked out of his grasp.

"I'm not angry! I'm worried! What if they're mean to him? What if he gets hurt and they don't treat it properly? Hm? What if one of the kids has some disease that can't be cured and they spread it around?" Kindergarten might as well have meant concentration camp. She stood and stepped past Ranger to turn on the shower. _He could get killed! What if he wants me but I can't be there? Oh, God. What if he hates it and doesn't want to go back? I can't home school him! _Ranger watched her, seeing the way each muscle in her body tensed with each thought.

For someone so reckless with their own life, Steph worried more about Mateo than normal. Of course it was only out of love but Ranger had to suppress a smile as he watched her internal battles. Then the smile faded as she took off the tee shirt she was wearing and her flawless alabaster skin called out to him, screaming to be touched. He couldn't get enough of her and the very sight of her standing in just her panties made his heart flutter in his chest.

Stripping silently, Steph felt Ranger move behind her, taking off his own clothes, and wrap his arms around her waist. He kissed the nape of her neck and ran his hands up and down her bare sides, stopping at the sides of her breasts to touch her playfully.

"What do you say we try making that baby?" She shivered as she felt his warm body press up against her, his hot breath teasing the skin on her neck with his husky whisper. _God, all he has to do is touch me and I can't breathe. And then he speaks and I can't remember what I was thinking. Real smooth._ Steph leaned back in to his chest and nodded softly, barely able to form a coherent thought with his skin touching hers. With their last garments discarded, they stepped into the shower.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Carlos, what do you wear to your kid's first day of kindergarten?" Ranger thought for a minute, quickly finished shaving, and entered their walk in closet. They both stood on their respective sides, Steph with her hands on her hips and Ranger with his arms crossed over his chest, brows furrowed and lips pursed in a frustrated fashion as they stared at their clothing. Their closets were both categorized by functionality. One section for field work, one section for business, one section for casual, and one section for formal events.

"I've never done this before." He looked over his wardrobe again and shrugged. "I guess whatever you would wear every day, right?" Steph raised a brow and looked over her own clothing.

"What _we_ would wear every day or what normal people would wear every day?" Somehow, wearing black combat gear didn't exactly spell out 'Mom' to Steph, but she didn't know any other way. _I leave the house looking like SWAT Barbie every day. That's not normal. _Ranger didn't speak so she figured he was just as lost as she was. "Well, if we wear something different than what we normally would, Mateo might freak. He might think this is a really big deal. I mean it is, shipping my baby off to some germ infested hell hole with those little Burg spawn, eating him from the inside out with their stupid little ideas and clawing at him while he-"

"Babe." Ranger smiled internally at the horrendously nasty tone to her voice through her little rant and looked over his shoulder back at his wife, who was scowling so hard she could turn a man to stone. He took a step back so that they were shoulder to shoulder and he kissed her forehead. "El sera fino, Steph."

"Uh huh, sure." Steph remained unconvinced. She gave him the best Burg eye roll she could muster and settled on what she would normally wear so as to not worry her son. Black low rise cargo pants from the GAP, a tight black Rangeman tee shirt, and black Puma running sneakers. Ranger dressed, grabbing a pair of black combats and his own version of the Rangeman tee shirt as well as his CAT boots. They dressed in silence and parted ways, Ranger moving to the gun safe next to his bed side table and Steph going to the bathroom to put her face on and do the hair thing. She stared into the mirror as she tamed her wild curls with some hair gel and willed the situation to go away.

She tried to think back and remember if her mother had been this upset when it was her first day of kindergarten. Then she recalled Valerie telling her the story a few years ago about how excited Ellen was when Stephanie finally went and how she celebrated with a few shots after breakfast. _Hnh. I guess she was happy I wouldn't jump off the roof in school._

Steph scowled at the thought of her mother's parenting and applied the fourth coat of mascara heavily. That fourth coat was the only thing that would get her through the door of the school. She still couldn't figure out how Ranger dealt with this. _How is it ok that our son is leaving us? He's so nonchalant. 'Babe, it's going to be ok.' What the hell is with that? Next he's going to say, 'Babe, of course it's ok that Mateo goes off to war. We'll just make him wait until he's 8.' No, he'll say it in Spanish so I won't think it sounds as bad. _She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror, making sure all of her curls were tamed, and walked out of the bathroom to face the day from hell.

Mateo was sitting on the couch, already dressed for his big day when Steph walked in to the living room. She stood behind the couch silently and watched as he sang along to the intro for Spongebob Squarepants, his little head of thick, jet black silken hair bopping side to side with the tune. True to Manoso form, he was dressed like a life size GI Joe in his own black combats. But instead of a Rangeman top he was wearing a Batman tee shirt and had decided on his black Nike sneakers that matched the ones his father had. Steph's heart fluttered at the sight of him and she almost cried. How could she possibly send him off to school today for a whole four hours? It would take a miracle for her to let go of his little hand. Mateo's built-in radar went off and his head shot up over the back of the leather couch. He turned around and beamed at his mother.

"Mama! Today is my first day of school!" His perfectly white smile stretched from ear to ear across his little face. _Why is he ok with this!? No, it's good that he's so relaxed. I need to relax. Breathe, Steph. Breathe. _

"I know." She moved around the front of the couch and sat, gathering him in her lap as she cradled him. Today was the first day of school and but she could remember every detail of his birth, right down to the 

color of the blanket on the hospital bed. She thought about how he had felt in her arms, so small and perfect. A pain shot through her chest and she felt a cramping in her abdomen. _I'll never have that feeling again. I can't get pregnant again. I'll never feel that again. Carlos can never feel that. _Mateo looked up at his mother from her lap and furrowed his brow.

"What, Mama?" Mateo's ESP kicked in to overdrive and he held Steph's face between his small hands, staring into her eyes, a mirror image to his own. Steph snapped back into reality and placed her hands over Mateo's. She sighed silently and pushed the thoughts out of her mind to focus on her son.

"Nothing. Let's go now. We don't want to be late on your first day, do we?" She gave a pleasant tone to her voice, faker than silicon, and smiled wide. _God, please say no. Just say no and you don't have to go._ Mateo sprang from her lap and nodded furiously.

"Si, Mama!" _Great. This is the worst day ever. _He ran around the back of the couch and into Ranger and Steph's bedroom. Even from the living room she could hear Mateo's little voice yelling for Ranger to hurry up. Surely, he was outfitting himself with heavy artillery that is totally unnecessary for a school. She laughed softly to herself at her son's persistence.

"_Daddy! Hurry! We can't be late! No, stop. No necesitas eso." (You don't need that.)_

"_Mateo."_

"_You don't need the knife. Come ON!" _She heard Ranger chuckle softly and then it was followed by his heavy foot falls. Soon they were in the living room and Mateo was practically vibrating with anticipation. Steph sighed and stood.

"Alright. Let's go." Mateo was the first out the door and darted to the elevator, pressing the button repeatedly. Steph watched as Mateo stood waiting, bouncing back and forth on his feet. He looked frantically at his parents, still in the apartment, and waved them over.

"Come on! Mama, Daddy!" Steph looked over at Ranger and felt her breath falter for an inhale. It was all too real now. They were on their way to dropping Mateo off to the pits of hell.

"Maybe we should wait. He doesn't need to go. He can just skip it, right? Just go right to first grade next year?" Ranger chuckled and moved over to his wife, one thick soled CAT boot at a time. His stood in front of her and placed his wide palms on the small of her back, pulling her close to his rock hard torso. He buried his face in the base of her neck and inhaled deeply, sending a chill through her body.

"Babe, he will be fine. I'll put Hal outside the school all day." He felt her muscles ease slightly but he knew nothing would reassure her. Ranger pulled back and kissed her forehead, then her smooth lips. "It will be ok, Babe." Steph scowled, unable to lose herself in the sensations her husband usually stirred deep within her. _Uh huh, sure. And my name is Michael Jackson. Well, here we go. _

_Poor Steph. Can she handle sending Mateo to kindergarten? What will happen once they get there? Please review. _


	2. ATTENTION

I'm alive! Ok, well you knew I was alive all along but I'm actually back home now and no longer competing so I can write. Chapter 2 will be updated shortly!! Thanks to all who have waited so long. I hope I can satisfy you!


	3. Chapter 2

**Aw poor Stephanie lol Happy reading! **

"No. Absolutely not. It's a death trap."

"Babe."

"Don't you 'Babe' me! Look at the place!"

Stephanie's eyes were wide with terror as she looked at the little school up the long driveway. How dare it sit on top of the hill looking so cute and innocent! It was red, bright red with white trim and a little flower box under each of the wide windows, dozens of Peonies spilling from the boxes. There was already a small crowd gathered in front of the school. Children frolicked while parents mingled. A young woman who was quite obviously the teacher had a bright smile spread across her pleasant face as she made her way from parent to parent, greeting each one individually.

"She's right, Rangeman. Just look at it! 'The Lollipop School'. Ugh. Just the name gives me goosebumps."

Lester pulled his lip back in a sneer as he shook his head in disgust. If it was up to him, Mateo would learn everything he needed to know at Haywood. Ranger gave his wife an impressive Burg eye roll and pressed the gas pedal of the black Denali. Mateo bounced in his car seat like a Mexican jumping bean, bopping his head from side to side along to his sing-song voice. He looked into the rear view mirror and watched his father's eyes crinkle around the edges, giving away his smile.

"I'm going to scho-ooooool! Canta conmigo, Daddy!" _(Sing with me)_

"I'll sing with you."

"Thanks, Uncle Tank!"

Steph turned around in her seat to stare back at the traitor. _Don't encourage the excitement! _Her glare was only met by four shit eating grins. Mateo was seated behind the driver's seat with Lester, then Tank sitting in the same row. Behind him directly was a very uncomfortable Cal, Hector, and Ram. Lester and Tank were comfortable since Mateo hardly took up much room. Cal, Hector, and Ram however, looked like the biggest and meanest sardines to ever be packed into a can. And Lester was the only one of the men that wasn't amused by Steph's fear of The Lollipop School.

"Mama, what's wrong?"

Mateo looked perplexed. His little brow furrowed together and his arms were crossed over his naturally broad chest. She couldn't possibly stay mad as she stared back into his fierce blue eyes. Just looking at him made her knees go weak. It terrified her to think that she could love someone so much that she would throw the world away just for one look into his perfect eyes, but she enjoyed it just as much as she feared it. It also scared her that he could be so much like his father. His seriously set brow and strong jaw were still apparent even on his soft baby face. Their mouths were even the same. Almost heart shaped but more masculine, not quite pink but just a hint of red atop his caramel skin. She was lost in a trance as she stared into his icy blue gaze so thickly lined with curled black lashes that she didn't even notice when the Denali pulled all the way up the long drive. Ranger turned off the truck and the men began to pile out. He watched Steph's profile as she watched their son climb out of the Denali. The raging fear behind her eyes would have been hilarious as hell if he hadn't hated seeing her distressed so much. It was a good kind of fear, though. Ranger was just as afraid for his boy, but he knew it was just silly anxieties parents got about leaving their children. He would be counting down the seconds until he could pick Mateo up, but at least he could accept that it needed to happen. Seeing Steph so distraught over leaving their son only made him love her more. He wouldn't have believed it before, after seeing her do distractions in next to nothing, but for some reason he thought his wife was sexiest when she was with Mateo. Whether it be making his breakfast or helping him get dressed, anything that involved Steph being a mother just made his knees go weak. He leaned over in his seat and pushed her unusually tame curls aside to make way for his lips. He placed a small kiss on her neck, snapping her back to reality.

"Babe."

She shifted her attention to her husband and righted herself in her seat. He had his left forearm resting on the steering wheel and his right arm behind her seat. His heady scent, a mixture of raw man and Bvlgari, was wafted by the breeze sweeping through the car and it hit her like a ton of bricks, blurring her senses for a minute. Ranger watched every emotion pass over her face and he couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. After all of the hell he had put her through, she still had the nerve to adore him. It made him nauseous at times to think that he had her complete devotion when it was entirely unwarranted, bringing waves of memories flooding through his brain.

x0x0x0x0x0x0x

Ranger and Stephanie sat in their respective chairs in the painfully quiet office. Ranger had both elbows resting on the arms of the plush leather chair, his hands joining just below his chin so that his long fingers were steepled just at the tips. He stared straight ahead of him at the plum stained wall behind Dr. Reed's desk, counting all of the ways she had over-decorated the office. God, he hated being there. It bothered him that there were so many distractions about the room. _Why the fuck do you need two paintings on a wall? What's wrong with one? Nothing she does is ever simple. She won't take simple answers. It's always more. More words. And apparently more paintings. Cheap and tacky knock-offs. Fuckin' a. _He let his mind wander as he waited for the doctor to begin the session.

While he brooded, Stephanie was lost in her own mind staring at the same exact wall. Dr. Reed had yet to enter the room and she hated the silence. _Why won't he talk to me? He's been so much better. _She uncrossed her slender legs and fidgeted with the hem of her dress. It was his favorite on her, well his favorite of her casual dresses. Nothing could compare to the heat in his eyes when she was all done up for a distraction in a tight, curve hugging number that hit just below her ass. The dress she wore today was a pale pink that played off her skin tone. It hit her leg just above the knee and flowed as she walked, giving the effect that she was shaking her goods. The spaghetti straps looked delicate and feminine on her slender shoulders and the v-neck dipped just low enough to be tantalizing but not quite so low that it was inappropriate. Everything about it screamed sexy and feminine, and Ranger just couldn't get enough of her in it. On a normal day she would have paired the ensemble with a raging pair of FMP's, but today she wasn't sure that she could handle any more pain than what her heart was giving her. So today she was wearing matching light pink sandals with a low kitten heel. She sighed softly and crossed her legs again, leaning back into the comfy chair that engulfed her comparatively smaller frame. _  
_

She adjusted herself in her seat and sat up straighter, glancing at her husband out of the corner of her eye. At that moment, he did the same and they caught each others gazes. _God, she's so beautiful. _Ranger softened his eyes and took in the sight of her. All of his negativity was thrown out the window. It wasn't automatic. He had to work hard to be happy, but he would try. For her. Every time they fought the image of Stephanie in her hospital bed with a chest tube would blind him. _Never again. _In a simple gesture to lighten the mood, Ranger stood up and lifted his heavy chair, scooting to the right so that the arm was touching Steph's chair. They had been coming to Dr. Reed for months now, 28 sessions in total, and each time there was a five foot space between them. It seemed to be a wall of tension that shielded them from each other. Ranger sat back down in the chair and took his stance from before, propping his elbows on the arms of the chair.

Stephanie could have cried. The gesture was so small and simple but it meant the world to her. It was like a window had finally been opened in a dingy basement and she could breath again. Ranger stared back into her icy blue eyes as if he was searching for something. Steph wasn't sure what it was exactly, but she was lost in her own daze. His tense jaw tightened and clenched, his strong profile defined by his masculine nose and perfect lips. She wasn't quite sure how someone so scary could be so sexy, but she couldn't get enough of him. Her skin tingled as she thought about his touch and how much she craved him. He was almost back to normal, so close but yet so far. He worked so hard at it, every day she could see him forgetting less and less. She wasn't woken any more by his startled cries in his sleep and he even enjoyed getting up for a run again. Yeah, Batman was coming back.

Whatever it was Ranger was looking for in her eyes, he found it. He leaned forward over the arm of his chair and gently pressed his lips to hers. A strong hand caressed the back of her head softly, his fingers weaving in and out of her wild curls. The kiss caught Steph off guard but it was well received. She leaned into him and simply melted, like she had so many times before. Her lips parted at his tongue's request. Before they knew it, her hands were fisted in the front of his black Rangeman shirt and he was leaning over the seat so much that he had to support his weight by holding the back of her seat.

"Well, excuse me for interrupting but I know you're not paying me ridiculous amounts of money so you can undress each other in my office."

Steph jumped back and turned in her seat, awkwardly adjusting her dress and smoothing her hair. She couldn't believe that she had actually done that in front of Dr. Reed without realizing it. She must have come in while they were kissing and they hadn't even noticed. Ranger cooly sat back and regained his stance from before. Dr. Reed smiled softly and tapped her pen lightly on the notebook that would forever be glued to her lap.

"Shall we?"

Still embarrassed and flushed from the heated kiss, Steph just nodded and played with the hem of her dress again. Batman did nothing. He hated therapy, even though it was partly to blame for his recovery. Dr. Reed cleared her throat and sighed, looking over at the one patient she knew would actually answer her. The other sitting to Steph's left, it was like pulling teeth to get an answer out of him.

"So I see that you are both happy with each other. How have things been at home?"

Stephanie thought about her answer for a moment and nodded, smiling a little with her answer.

"Good, very good. Carlos has been working really hard and it's working."

Ranger's blank face was completely gone now and his lips twitched slightly at the edges. He absorbed her voice like the sunshine and drank it in. Hearing her say positive things about him made him feel like he was on a cloud. Dr. Reed wrote something down on her pad and then looked up at Ranger.

"Ricardo, that's wonderful! What sorts of things do you need to work on still? I know it isn't as hard for you to remember things now but I also recall you saying the flashbacks were still a problem. How often do you have flashbacks now?"

He raised a brow and sighed, crossing his bulging arms over his chest. _Why the fuck does she ask these damn questions? Because I'm paying her to. Jesus Christ.  
_

"Sometimes."

"How often exactly?"

"I've had two in the past week."

"That's tremendous. As opposed to two a day, I find that incredible. What were the flashbacks?"

"The usual."

Dr. Reed nodded slowly and wrote something else down on her notepad. Like a little boy getting in trouble with the principal, Ranger adjusted himself in his seat, looking down at his lap. He cleared his throat and fidgeted some more. It was such an un-Ranger like gesture that it struck a nerve in Steph. She placed her hand over his in his lap and squeezed them gently, stroking one of his palms with her thumb. _God, please don't hide now. I know these question are hard but please stick with me. _Ranger sighed inaudibly and placed her hand between his mits, holding it snugly for comfort. After she finished writing, Dr. Reed looked up.

"Ah. You've finally moved the chairs. I was waiting for when you'd do that."

Steph's brows furrowed in confusion and Ranger's blank face slipped on. Dr. Reed watched them for a moment before explaining herself.

"It's a typical test therapists give their patients. It helps us judge your level of comfort with each other. Most couples never move the chairs. They don't even notice the distance."

Ranger shrugged and stroked Stephanie's hand in his lap.

"I don't like to be away from her."

Simple as that. Steph looked over at him and smiled, not the full 2000 watts but it was a pleasant smile all the same. Dr. Reed smiled soundly at his words.

"I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you two. Really, this is so wonderful that you have come so far. For someone who has gone through so much Ricardo, your strength is overwhelming. However, there is a giant pink elephant in the room and I think it needs to be discussed."

Ranger raised a brow, his hands stilling. Steph stiffened in her seat and waited in eager anticipation. What could she possibly need to talk about now?

"Are you pregnant, Stephanie? I understand you have been trying for a month or so now, correct?"

_Oh, that._ Steph's heart sank. She felt like she was just smacked in the face by a boulder. She had pushed back those longing feelings for a few days now and had finally found a small moment of peace. Now that emptiness and depression were back. Ranger watched as each emotion clouded back over her lifeless blue eyes. Steph opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Her throat was so dry it was hard to swallow and it was taking everything she had in her to push the lump back down. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth and her lips felt cracked and brittle. _Now I can't even speak. Great. I must look like a real crack head._

"No, Babe. You don't."

_Shit. I said that out loud. _Ranger leaned over in his seat and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, pausing with his hand cupping her delicate face as he searched her eyes, as if he could absorb her pain and take it all away. He couldn't though, and her sapphire eyes glazed over with hurt.

"I know this is a very hard subject for the two of you, but it is very serious. Leaving this all unsaid could be very dangerous to the progress you have made so far."

She watched on as Steph tried to compose herself, her face still cradled by Ranger's palms as he wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

"Shh, que va bien, Babe. Vamos a seguir intentandolo. Les prometo, es que va suceder." _(We will keep trying. I promise, it will happen.)_

At his words, Steph looked up at Ranger. She nodded weakly and wiped her eyes while sitting up taller in her seat. She hated falling apart in front of people, even if Ranger was there to pick up her pieces. Dr. Reed picked up on the tension and decided that was enough for this session. She stood up and smiled softly before exiting the office to give the couple some time to gather themselves. Once he heard the door click shut, Ranger took it upon himself to give Steph the only therapy he knew how. He didn't give her time to protest before he held Stephanie by the shoulders and pulled her over the arms of their chairs and onto his lap. Stephanie was stunned at first but once she felt his body heat and strong arms embrace her, she lost it. Tears poured down her face in long tracks as she held onto him. He just held her, kissing her forehead softly while murmuring reassurances in quiet Spanish.

x0x0x0x0x0x0x

Just as he was coming out of his own thoughts, Stephanie seemed to be sorting through her own. She had her brow furrowed and a slight pout to her kissable mouth.

"You were doing it again." _You forgot to put your mask on. _

Ranger sighed and shook his head, turning to get out of the car.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Before he could completely step out onto the gravel parking lot, his wife had grabbed his elbow. Her slender fingers hardly made it halfway around his thick muscle but she held on tight, like it was the only thing keeping her alive. Ranger froze and looked back over his shoulder. Steph's eyes were wide with panic and shimmered with unshed tears. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying and shook her head slowly. Ranger turned fully around and she released his elbow.

"Babe?"

"Please, please, please, Carlos. Don't leave it at that. We've come so far and every time you block me out we take two steps back."

Her voice was a crackled whisper, laced with pain and frustration. Her panic stricken expression was understandable. They had taken so much time to come this far and hell would freeze over before she let it get bad again. He knew she was right and he nodded once.

"I was just thinking about how I want to help you. Help us. But I can't. And it kills me that you think I'm Batman but I don't have a solution for this one."

Steph knew immediately what he was referring to and her stomach turned in knots. _I can't escape it. Why, why, why, why can't I just get pregnant? _That same feeling engulfed her throat and she couldn't breathe. The lump formed again and she felt like she was going to throw up. She looked down at her lap, knowing that if she met his gaze she would come undone.

"Come on, Babe."

He got out of the car and walked to the passenger side of the Denali. After opening the door he held out a hand for her. Steph checked her face in the mirror like any Jersey girl would and decided it was time to face the music. Pushing aside all other thoughts, she took his hand and stepped out of the car.

The Merry Men and Mateo were already in the crowd. They weren't mingling though. They had all formed a circle around Mateo and were guarding him like the Hope Diamond. Lester had a hand on his hip, where one of his concealed guns was hidden. Tank and Hector were doing a not-so-stealth run down over the crowd of parents, as if one of them had a bomb. Steph groaned as she saw them. _Great. Real subtle guys.  
_

"Guys! Really! Can we try to not draw so much attention to ourselves?"

_My mother is going to kill me. _Ranger and Steph approached the huddle they had formed, parting the men to get to their son. Mateo trudged out of the semi circle and stopped in front of his father. Tears were starting to pool on his lower lashes and his blue eyes glistened, only accenting his quivering bottom lip. Ranger squatted and held Mateo by the shoulders gently, concern written all over his face.

"Mi nino, lo que esta mal?" _(What's wrong?)  
_

Mateo sniffled a bit and shrugged.

"None of the other kids wanna play with me. They look at me but they won't come and play."

Ranger's eyes softened and he wiped a tear that rolled down Mateo's smooth cheek. He was so unbelievably beautiful and perfect that Ranger didn't think it was possible. Even crying the boy had complete control over him. _Well gee, I wonder why they won't come and play. _

"Hector, Cal, Ram go back in the truck."

"What! Why?"

"You're scaring the children."

"See! We should leave. With Mateo."

"Santos."

Hector shrugged. Yes, he did scare children. Cal and Ram didn't see the reasoning. After one more death glare from Ranger, they saw the light. The three did as they were told. Almost instantly, the tension in the air lifted. A few children could be seen crawling out from beneath a bush and a dozen or so parents stepped out from the shadows of a tree, including the teacher. Stephanie looked around and then at themselves. She was wearing her usual Rangeman bounty hunter attire. Black on black on black. Ranger was wearing his usual Rangeman black on black on black. Then she looked at Tank. He was even more black for different reasons. Then she looked at Lester. He, too, was wearing the Rangeman uniform. It looked ok to her. _Stupid Burg. Look at them. They're afraid of us. Like we have some disease. No. We just kick ass for a living. Take that you evil, heartless, twisted, mo-_

"Babe."

Ranger shook his head and stood up, looking past Stephanie. She was slightly surprised by this and turned to follow his gaze. _Oh shit._

"Yup."

And there she was. One lone parent decided to be brave and approach them. Steph looked her over quickly and was not surprised at all by what she saw, being that they were in the heart of the Burg. Or hell, whichever you prefer. The woman appeared to be about 40 but was probably just 33. She had straight blond hair that was cut shoulder length, tucked behind her ears. Her clothes were simple. A matching sweater set and a pair of khaki Capri pants, white Ked sneakers. The woman cautiously moved closer, a smile plastered on her face. Steph knew enough about reading people to know that she was scared shitless and just didn't want to seem rude. Finally she was in speaking distance. Steph instinctively tucked Mateo behind her and blocked him from the woman's view. Very calmly, the bold woman extended a hand to Steph. _Oh god. She looks like a mother. She screams mother! I don't look like a mother. _

"Hi. I'm Meredith Baker, Claire's mother."

Steph smiled back just as sweetly, and equally as scared, and shook the woman's hand. _Her hands are cold. Oh my god. This is the worst day of my life. She smells like my grandmother. Not Grandma Mazur, either. _

"I'm Stephanie Manoso. This is my husband, Carlos, and this is our son, Mateo."

Ranger extended his hand to the woman and they shook, exchanging brief smiles. _Lucky bastard. He never talks._ Stephanie couldn't help but notice how long the woman stared at Ranger. _Uh, hello! Back up, Martha Stewart. _She seemed to be devouring him with her eyes and it was pissing Steph off to no end. She pulled the tips of her mouth up into what she hoped was a smile and took a step closer to Ranger, effectively gluing herself to his side. This seemed to snap Martha out of her stupor and she cleared her throat, laughing slightly as she looked over the couple. _Yeah, ha. Things that are funny. Not that. _

"Well um, I have had two children come through this school and I would just like to let you know how wonderful Mrs. Fox is. She truly has a way with children."

Stephanie nodded and did the smile thing again. _Please just walk away. Just turn around and go get in your minivan and drive away. _

"We've heard great things so that is why we brought our son here."

Martha Stewart smiled again nervously and fidgeted with the buttons on her sweater.

"Yes, good. Um, what is it that you do exactly, if I may ask?"

_Aw, shit. _

**Woohoo! I finally posted! I was going to make it longer but it was getting a bit winded. So I cut it off there. Poor steph lol and ranger leaves her to do all the talking. the next one should be coming out fairly soon! thanks for reading and please review! **


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